Overview
- From 2026, the race director may extend Sprint-weekend FP1 to recoup red‑flag time only if the stoppage occurs before minute 45, with the rule limited to the six Sprint events.
- The FIA kept expanded pre-season testing for 2026 to aid adaptation to the new car generation and signaled a return to a single pre-season test in 2027.
- Alpine and Audi received approval for early 2026 running, with Alpine set for a January 11 filming day at Montmeló that will give Franco Colapinto first laps in the new A526.
- Alpine will switch to Mercedes power units for the A526 in 2026, a change the team is positioning as a key technical step alongside its early track program.
- Honda will end its Red Bull supply and power Aston Martin from 2026, with CEO Koji Watanabe expressing confidence the partnership can deliver wins under the new rules.